New Hydrogen Semi-Truck Technology Near Launch

Soon, the same element that powers the sun will be powering your semi-truck. Nikola Motor Co. is about to unveil its hydrogen semi-truck technology by releasing three products related to emissions-free semi-trucks. According to the company, they plan to reveal their Nikola One model semi-truck, a model-agnostic battery pack and a hydrogen fueling station on Dec. 1 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The company boasts that their Nikola One big rig is the most fuel-efficient class-8 semi-truck in existence, and that the 800v hydrogen fuel cell can travel between 800 and 1,200 miles on a single charge. While hauling a full load, the trucks will maintain a fuel efficiency of 15 to 20 miles per gallon.

Since its announcement, the truck has garnered both high anticipation and a healthy dose of doubt, depending on who you talk to. When the company began accepting reservation requests, they made nearly $3 billion dollars within the first 30 days. However, skeptics are quick to point out the recent reversal in the company's decision to power the rig with natural gas-fueled turbines. According to the company, the natural gas turbine development is happening outside the US to avoid difficult emissions testing here.

If you're wondering where to get the hydrogen to power these rigs, Nikola Motor Co. has you covered. The company plans to initially install 56 refueling stations across North America. Eventually, that number will increase to 300 and become the largest hydrogen network in the world. The hydrogen itself will come from solar hydrogen farms that the company already built, anticipating the 2019 release of the Nikola One.

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